Police seek suspect in theft from vending machine

Janesville police have released this image from surveillance video of a man who entered a local manufacturing business and drilled out the lock on a vending machine.

Janesville police have released this image from surveillance video of a man who entered a local manufacturing business and drilled out the lock on a vending machine.

TO HELP

Anyone who recognizes the man suspected of stealing money from a vending machine at Prent Corp. on Jan. 16 or has other information about this incident may call the Janesville Police Department at 608-755-3100 or Janesville Area CrimeStoppers, 608-756-3636.

JANESVILLE—In a brazen act of theft, a man recently walked into a Janesville business, drilled out the lock on a vending machine and made off with hundreds of dollars, police say.

Police on Wednesday asked the public's help in identifying the man they believe committed the act.

The man entered Prent Corp., 2225 Kennedy Road, during business hours Jan. 16. He went to the employee break room and broke into the machine, police said.

Police provided two photos from a security camera showing the suspect standing outside an exterior door, waiting for someone to let him in. He is holding a small bag in his hand, where presumably he had tools he used to commit the theft.

The man convinced someone inside that he was a repairman who had come to fix a vending machine, Detective Kyle Austin said.

“It was extremely simple, but it worked,” Austin said. “Apparently, he played the part correctly, so nobody suspected anything.”

Austin said the information was sent to law enforcement statewide in hopes that someone would recognize this kind of caper as happening in other jurisdictions. Janesville police have gotten no response.